


A Deal With The Devil

by lampsabout



Series: Everyone's New Killing Life [2]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, HEAVILY inspired by Kakegurui, The Celeste backstory/prequel fic, details celeste's childhood and her rise to power as the Ultimate Gambler, fits the general canon of DRR, little reference to danganronpa proper outside of Celeste as a character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 00:42:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28734387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lampsabout/pseuds/lampsabout
Summary: “Play, Miyasa.” Celeste smiled. Miyasa held her cards close to her chest as Celeste stood, and rounded the table, sliding her hand down Miyasa’s cheek, a grin on her face. “Don’t you want to play more? Don’t you want to win? Don’t you want to prove me wrong?” Miyasa shook under Celeste’s grip, as her hands fell to her shoulders, her nails digging into her hoodie.“I...I...”“Go on. Play. Play the card. Play, Miyasa.”
Relationships: Celestia Ludenberg/Hasegawa Mika, Celestia Ludenberg/Original Female Character
Series: Everyone's New Killing Life [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1479713
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	1. The Girl With Deceit In Her Eyes

Taeko Yasuhiro moved the cup to the left, then to the right, then to the left again. She hummed to herself as she did it, the cups gliding easily over the thick, coarse sand.

She absentmindedly made notes to herself of the other children at the playground. A group of boys, loud, harsh, and cliquish. A few girls playing on the swing set. And a few misfits spotted around the place, all trying to find purchase in something other than social recognition.

Taeko should’ve included herself in the third party, but she considered herself an outside player. Which is quite a bold statement for an elementary schooler to have. Her hands moved the cups, shifting them around at a slow, steady pace. An enticingly slow speed. She heard footsteps, and saw some of the boys split off from their group, most likely heading out. But, they’d need to intersect with Taeko, crouched down in the sandbox.

“Hey!” One of them shouted. “What’re you doing?” Taeko looked up innocently, spotting a brutish looking boy with his arms crossed, a mischievous grin revealing his missing front teeth.

“Playing.” Taeko responded, trying her best to seem bothered and confident. She continued moving the cups.

“What game could you be playing? Those cups look super boring!” Said a lanky boy to the side of his brutish friend. Most likely insecure in his own masculinity that he needed to find comfort in that of a stronger boy.

“It’s not, I swear.” Taeko defended herself, keeping her dignified tone. “See, there’s a ball under one of these cups.”

“So what?” The brutish boy asked.

“So, I try to guess which cup it is after I mix them up.” Taeko explained, a calculated smile on her face.

“That’s so lame! Don’t you know where you moved the cup?” The lanky boy cut in.

Taeko feigned surprise. “Oh my, you’re right! Well, I guess I’d need someone to play with.” Taeko sighed. 3...2...1…

“We could play it with you, I guess.” Hook, line, and sinker. The brutish boy sat down across from her, legs crossed.

“Oh! Well,” Taeko began, taking two cups in one hand and the third in the other, revealing the ball. “The ball is under the middle cup.” She then placed the cups back down in a straight line of three. Under the middle cup was the small rubber ball.

Slowly and gently, she moved the middle cup (the one with the ball) in a circle, slowly mixing in movements of the other ones. She was telegraphing her attack, making it very obvious where the ball ended up.

“That one!” The boy shouted, pointing at the rightmost cup.

Taeko lifted it, revealing the ball. “Ah, no! I guess you win!” She hid her smile behind a fake frown. “I think I’m just bad at this game….”

“Hey, let’s play again!” The brutish boy grinned. 

A glint went off in Taeko’s eyes. “Really?” She asked.

“Yeah! That was fun!” Taeko grinned at his confidence. He knew he would win. The odds were 1/0. Luck dictated that he would win.

“Well…” She smiled. “Let’s make it a little more fun!” She smiled, putting it in vague terms to avoid incriminating herself, but still to make her point crystal clear. “How about...if I win, you give me your lunch money! And if I lose...I’ll give you my lunch money!”

The boy seemed to ponder it for a moment. He pulled the few wadded bills out of his pocket, examining them. He knew they meant his lunch for the day. He looked back at Taeko, who hefted a wallet in her hands. “Deal!” He said. After all, the odds dictated that he would win.

“Wonderful.” Taeko slipped the ball under the middle cup. “3…” She began. “2…” The boy grinned. “1…” Taeko smiled. “Go!”

In a flash, the cups were moving, faster than the boy nor his friend could see. The cup flew and flung sand as Taeko furiously moved the cup. The boy’s eyes were trapped, desperately clinging to the cups, trying to keep his eye on the same cup, trying to secure his money. 

Taeko made sure to give him a chance. She knew it wouldn’t matter, but she thought it fair. Taeko stopped just as soon as she had begun, stopping the cup in its tracks. “Alright! Where’s the ball?”

The boy took a deep breath, and pointed at the far left cup. “That one! I watched you move it the whole time!”

Taeko grinned. She made a small noise.

“...What?” The boy asked. Taeko’s voice bubbled up into a small giggle. “Why are you laughing…?” He asked, eyes widening.

Taeko kept eye contact with the boy as she raised the cup, making sure to drag it out, to let the poison on her knife simmer and burn on the cut. “Aww. What a shame.” Taeko grinned. “Looks like I win!”

“But...I followed it the whole time!” The boy frowned. “What...how did you…”

“Simple.” Taeko grinned. “I moved the cups much more quickly. As I moved the middle cup, the one with the ball, to the side, I tilted up the side of both cups, transferring the ball from the middle to the left. So, while you were following the middle cup as it made it’s journey, you were tracking the wrong cup the whole time!”

  
“B-But that’s cheating!” The boy’s friend exclaimed. “You broke the rules!”

“What rules?” Taeko smiled. “I don’t believe I ever established any rules that prohibit transferring balls between cups.” Taeko extended her hand, motioning towards the boy’s balled up fist, holding her prize. “I’ll be taking my money now, please.”

The boy’s shaking arm extended out, moving to present Taeko with her prize, before his arm reared back and swung, narrowly slapping at Taeko’s cheek, knocking her to the ground. The boy huffed, his power questioned by such a young girl. “You little...I’ll make you pay for that!” The boy exclaimed.

Taeko grinned. “TEACHER! TEACHER, COME QUICK!” Taeko screamed. On cue, tears fell from her eyes. “TEACHER, TEACHER, PLEASE!” Footsteps hit the sand, as their teacher ran towards the scene. Taeko, cowering on the ground, cups and balls scattered on the sand. And two boys standing above her.

“What is going on?!” The teacher roared. The boys cowered under her shout.

“She started it!” The boy’s friend shouted.

“I-I w-was just p-p-playing by myself…” Taeko sniffed. “Then those two came over, kicked over my toys, and they hit me!”

“But we didn’t--”

“Enough! You two will go to the office. Now.” The teacher hissed. The boys hung their heads, arms shaking, though they did what they were told. The teacher held Taeko’s hand as they watched the boys go. The brutish boy threw a look towards Taeko.

Taeko grinned at him, winking one eye. She relished in his furious scowl as he passed inside to be reprimanded.

“Are you going to be okay, Taeko?” The teacher asked. Taeko, tears now wiped from her eyes, nodded lightly.

“I think I’ll play some more. Thank you, teacher.”

\---

Celestia Ludenberg walked into the room, and was greeted with a now familiar sight. A man, a bit older than her, but probably not above the age of 25, sat at a table, a soft smile on his face. Standing next to the man was another person in a black suit, carrying a briefcase. The dealer.

“Ah! I assume you’ll be my opponent!” The man smiled. “My name is Ryota Kawaharu. It’s a pleasure to meet you!” He stood up, leaning over the table and extending a hand towards Celestia. Celeste smiled.

She took his hand and shook. “I’m Celestia Ludenberg. And the feeling is mutual.” She smiled, flattening the bottom of her skirt as she sat down across the table from Kawaharu. Kawaharu sat down as well, slicking back his hair.

“Well, Celestia, here’s to a fair match!” Kawaharu grinned.

“Of course! Best of luck to both of us.”

The dealer, coughed, gaining the attention of both parties. “Miss Ludenberg, Mr. Kawaharu. Shall we begin the explanation of the game?”

“Ah! Of course! Please, continue.” Kawaharu smiled.

“Indeed. I’m eager to begin.” Celestia agreed.

The dealer nodded. “Today, the two of you will be playing...Uno XX.” The dealer pulled a deck of cards out of his pocket, placing a stack of Uno cards onto the table.

“...Uno?” Celestia frowned. “How unfortunate. I had hoped that our game would be less luck based.”

Kawaharu’s grin remained. “Ah, don’t worry! We’ll be playing Uno XX! It’s a modified version of the classic game. The deck’s been modified. This way, there’ll be an element of skill involved!”

“Oh?” Celeste asked. “Please, go on.”

Kawaharu nodded. “Well, as far as rules go, the game will be played exactly the same as a standard Uno game. And, at first glance, the deck of cards provided is a standard 50 card Uno deck. However, two additional cards have been added into the deck.”

Kawaharu took a card off of the top of the deck, and flipped it in his hand, showing the back of it to Celeste. The card was black-edged (in contrary to the red of a standard Uno card), with a large question mark in place of the Uno logo. “This is a variable card! See, this card has no description on the other side.” Kawaharu flipped the card, revealing a plain white card. “The person that plays this card will be able to decide what it does.”

“But what’s stopping someone from just defining the card as an instantaneous win?” Celeste reasoned.

Kawaharu nodded, as if expecting that question. “The player is allowed to make the card do anything, as long as it doesn’t add any cards to anyone’s hand, nor discards any cards from any hand.”

“And I presume we’re allowed to place bets?” Celeste asked.

“Of course! This is gambling, after all.” Kawaharu laughed.

“Though, I have to question how this isn’t luck-reliant. The variables will just be shuffled into the deck along with everything else, yes?” Celeste tried.

“Quite the contrary.” Kawaharu notes. “These cards will be automatically added to both players hands. That way both players have a variable card throughout the game!”

The dealer placed his briefcase on the table, opening it. The inside was completely empty. He then quickly began to shuffle the deck. “Both players, please place an initial bet.”

Celeste twirled a piece of hair around a finger. “Hmm...” After a moment of consideration, Celeste produced a stack of bills. “There. I bet 500 yen.”

Kawaharu smiled. “I’ll match you, then! 500 yen.” He added a stack of bills to the case as well.

The dealer masterfully slid a hand of 6 cards to both of them. “Now then. Initial bets have been placed, and both hands have been dealt. With that, our game may begin. Heads or tails, Ms. Ludenberg?”

“Tails.” Celeste said.

The dealer flipped the coin. “The coin landed on heads. Mr. Kawaharu goes first.” Kawaharu and Celeste nodded. Kawaharu reached for the card on the top of he deck and flipped it over, revealing a yellow 3.

“Ah! I play a yellow 5.” Kawaharu smiled, placing a matching card over the yellow 3.

Celeste shuffled her hand around a bit, organizing the cards by color, and then increasing number among the colors. “Well, it looks like I don’t have a card to play! I’ll draw.” Celeste spoke, lifting a card off of the deck. And then another. “Oh! Here’s one. A green 3.” Celeste placed the 3 onto the discard pile.

Minutes passed as they played cards. Celeste seemed to lack any anger or spitefulness about her growing hand, especially in contrast to Kawaharu’s thinning hand as the game continued.

“ _ What a foolish beginner. _ ” Kawaharu thought to himself. “ _ She has no idea what she’s doing! _ ” He said, not letting his plain and soft smile fade. He played a red 2 over a yellow 2.

Celeste played a yellow 6 over his yellow 2. She was now at 15 cards, while Kawaharu still held 8 in his hand.

“Here we are! A card that works!” Kawaharu grinned, selecting a card from his hand. He flipped it, revealing a black-edged card with a question mark.

Celeste feigned shock. “My! Now, tell me what you’re defining your card as.”

Kawaharu laughed. “Well, my variable card will shuffle your hand in with the cards at the bottom of the discard pile!”

“And? How would that affect my play?” Celeste inquired, tipping her head to the side.

“This deck is special, Ludenberg. The cards are played in a sequential order. From top to bottom, the numbers and colors alternate! It makes sure that similar cards are nearby eachother! But, by forcing your hand to include only cards from the bottom of the deck, it completely disrupts your entire gameflow!”

Celeste, pretending that made sense, smiled. “Wow! You surely have backed me into a corner.” She played her green 5 over the variable card. “Let’s keep that energy. Draw.”

And so they continued. Cards after cards traveled into their hands and were immediately slotted back down onto the pile. Kawaharu’s confident grin grew wider and wider as he watched more cards amass in Celestia’s hand, and fewer and fewer dwindled from his own.

“Uno!” Kawaharu declared after placing down a red 7. “I only have one card left!”

"Hmm..." Celeste muses. "Oh! I suppose I can play this card." Celeste smirks, twisting her card around to reveal her variable card

Kawaharu’s eyes widened, but his initial shock doesn’t shake his confidence. She can't mess with his hand in any way. “Well now, Miss Ludenberg. What do you think you’re doing?”

"Oh, nothing much." She gestures to the dealer. "I raise the bet by 500,000 yen." She slid another stack of bills to the dealer, who, surprised, added them to the briefcase.

“The betting pool is now a grand total of 5,000,000 yen.” The dealer stated.

Kawaharu gave her an odd look. "Quite a cocky play, considering I only have one card left."

"Not really. Especially since I've just won."

Kawaharu does a double take. "What?"

Celeste giggles. "You know, adding a variable to Uno really gives both players far too much power. Rules are what define a game, Kawaharu. Without them, what is to separate us from beasts?"

"What...what are you talking about?"

Celeste boisterously laughed. "You handed this win to me on a silver platter the second you explained the rules." Celeste smirked. "Do you really think I just...I don't know, casually drew two dozen cards? Statistically, I'd have to play a card around 10 draws."

"Then...why didn't you just play a card and get it over with then?!"

"I needed your ego to be far bigger than it already was." Celeste explained. "I needed you to think you had a win in the bag from the start. That way, when I won, your explosion of shock and anger would be all the more satisfying! It takes so little to drive men like you into a self aggrandizing tantrum."

"SHUT UP! There's no way you can know you've won! No matter what you do, there's..."

"HAHAHA!" Celeste cackled. "Oh, but there is! You see, the current top of the discard pile is a Red 7. Remember, the key component of Uno is playing a card of a matching color or number to win."

She traced the edge of the table, leaning forward to meet Kawaharu's eyes. "After I played my card, you were going to play your card, and win. I am confident in that fact." Celeste grinned. "Let me guess...you have...a red?"

Kawaharu glances down at the Red 5 in his hand. "How did you...?"

"Oh please." Celeste waves him off. "You and the dealer were already here before I arrived. You revealed the deck. It's incredibly obvious that you tricked this deck. I mean, ‘the way the deck is shuffled has the cards spaced out specially’? You ADMITTED that you stacked the deck in your favor! Besides, your precious red card has a crease on the upper right side. The dealer dog-eared it so he knew to deal it to you. I've seen that card sitting in your hand since the first turn."

Kawaharu was shaking at this point. "What...what are you doing?"

"Winning. Isn't that obvious?" Celeste plays her variable. "I define my variable card. This card allows me to switch hands with my competitor."

"W-Wait! You can't subtract cards from play! That's against the rules!"

"As if we haven't already broken the rules enough for one match? What's one more?" Celeste sighed. "Besides, to quote a self-absorbed asshole, ‘The player is allowed to make the card do anything, as long as it doesn’t add any cards to anyone’s hand, nor discards any cards from any hand’." Celeste grinned as Kawaharu's own words were thrown back in his face.

"I'm not adding or discarding anything. We're merely swapping." Celeste rolled her eyes, knowing she's won. "Now. Are you going to sit there and stare at me in astonishment, or are you going to embarrass yourself and lose what little respect the dealer has for you by fighting me?"

Kawaharu says nothing as Celeste pushes her neatly stacked hand of 23 cards forward.

"Please, hand me my red card. Or would you rather I take it from you?"

Kawaharu drops the red card. It floats over to Celeste, who picks it up and examines it. "Uno!"

She innocently smiles, placing the card down.

"C-Celestia...Celestia Ludenberg has won the match. She takes the 5,000,000 yen betting pool for herself." The dealer wheezes.

"Merci." Celeste smiles politely, taking the briefcase. She walks over to the door, and blows a kiss to Kawaharu. "Au revoir! And, Kawaharu? If I see you in the upcoming tournament...don't disappoint me like this again, understood?"

Kawaharu says nothing, too shocked to muster up words.

Celeste closed the door, not bothering to make sure he responded at all.


	2. The Girl Who's Simply Lucky

“Hey! Taeko!” She hears another student call. Taeko tilts her head, brushing a lock of her straight black hair behind her ear, just as a subliminal way to annoy her parents, even if they cannot see it. “What’re you doing all by yourself?”

Taeko raised an eyebrow. “Well, I’m eating lunch?” Taeko half-laughed.

“Well, DUH, but you’re sitting _alone_ at a lunch table, right next to a bunch of kids playing with cards! Do you got wax in your ears?” The kid asked again.

Taeko put a thumb on her chin, considering the proposition. “Sure!” She stood, walking over to the group of her peers. “How is the game played?”

“Oh, it’s super easy. You just guess the card that you’re gonna draw from the deck. You get points depending on how close you get! One point for matching color, one point for matching suit, one point for matching number! First person to nine points win!” 

Taeko smiled to herself. “Sounds like fun!”

\---

Celestia Ludenberg checked her watch one more time as she walked down the facilities hallway. 8:00 PM. Right on time. The hallway was packed, full of people in formal wear, bland black suits worn by men, and gowns of all different colors draped across the women. Celeste easily slipped between them, navigating down to the black door at the far right side of the hallway.

A man in a suit stood in front of it, his face a stone mask. He puffed out his chest when Celeste approached him. “Identification.” He grunted.

Celestia smiled, producing her ID card from her pocket. “Of course.” The man took the small black card she had been issued, turning it over in his hands. He stared at it for a minute, holding it up to the light, before nodding. He handed the card back to Celeste, and wordlessly held open the door for her. Celeste nodded, and walked through.

The room was a type of locker room. Several seats lined the walls, all with storage spaces beneath them for personal affects. A large round table stood in the middle of the room, where 3 people sat.

“Yo!” One of them, a boy, probably around age 19, called, waving a hand over at Celeste. “You the fourth player?”

Celeste’s eyes traveled over the other three other people in the room. The boy who had just called for her, who had bleached blonde hair and an excessive amount of piercings, was sitting on the edge of the table, wearing a loose-fitting suit with the tie undone.

Another man, this one quite tall and heavyset, smiled at her from behind the first boy. He looked somewhat older, maybe in his late 20s. The last was a girl with peach pink hair, who was playing with her hair, her acrylic nails painted a garish yellow.

“Yes, I am. Celestia Ludenberg, pleased to meet your acquaintance.” She smiled, curtsying.

The boy with bleached hair extended a hand for her to shake. “Junji Osame! Pleased to meet ya!” 

Celeste shook his hand. “Likewise.”

The girl with pink hair jumped to her feet. “So, like, are you Japanese? Your name sounds foreign.” 

Celeste smiled. “I am not. My father is a descendant of Germanic nobility, while my mother is a french art connoisseur.”

Her eyes widened. “Woahhhhh...” She smiled, perking up after that explanation. “Name’s Yumi Miyasa. Like, totally excited to play against you.”

“And I you.” Celeste returned, bowing once more.

“Guess that just leaves me!” The other man laughed. “Name’s Suguru Komoto.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Komoto.” Celeste smiled.

“You know, you got here just in time!” Osame smiled. “We’re gonna start playing in just a bit!”

Celeste acted surprised, despite knowing she planned to show up just in time, for dramatic effect. “Well, lucky me, then!”

_“ATTENTION ALL PARTICIPANTS!”_ A woman’s voice commanded over the loudspeakers. _“THE OPENING CEREMONIES WILL BEGIN MOMENTARILY! PLEASE PREPARE YOURSELVES TO BEGIN!”_

“Welp, that’s our cue!” Komoto smiled.

“Ugh, why does this have to be so official? We’re just playing cards.” Miyasa rolled her eyes.

“Eh, put some effort in!” Osame smirked, clapping a hand on Miyasa’s back, making her stumble momentarily. “We’re gonna be playing in a nationwide tournament! Least you can do is show some spirit!”

“I agree with Osame.” Celeste smiled, eyeing her opponents out of the corner of her eye. “The least you can do is show some excitement.”

“I’m excited!” Miyasa pouted. “I’m just nervous, I guess! I’d like it if the announcer played it more casual...”

“Casual?” Celeste laughed. “Why would you be casual when your life's on the line?”

\---

“Ok, Taeko! What’s your guess?” Her classmate said. Taeko locked her eyes on the deck in front of her. If she wanted to win, she’d need 9 points. The maximum output from a card was 3. Logically, she’d need to guess the card correctly 3 times in a row to win as quickly as possible. But, each player was only allowed one draw per turn. She’d be relying on pure chance.

Taeko smiled. “I’ll guess....the ace of spades.”

“Rad! Go ahead, then!” Her classmate smiled. Taeko gingerly lifted the card from the top of the pile. She took a moment, for dramatic effect, mostly, before she flipped it over, revealing the ace of spades.

“Woah...Taeko, that’s 3 points!” Another student cheered.

“Ah. I suppose I just got lucky!”

\---

Lights converged on the owner’s box placed in the center of the moderate arena. Small enough to hide, Celeste assumed, considering this was an entirety illegal operation. Celeste stared at the owner’s box with bated breath. This would be her first time participating in a real gambling tournament. Let alone one as elite as this. The months of swindling and gambling just to gather enough to pay for the entrance fee had all been worth it. Because of this one, complete, perfect, astounding moment.

As the drums rolled, a figure emerged out of the shadow and out onto the owner’s box Balcony. A girl, perhaps a year or so older than Celeste stood proudly, eyeing the line of gamblers Celeste stood amongst. She wore her ginger hair in a ponytail, tying it back with a bright pink ribbon. Her pink eyes raked over the group, like a butcher selecting a pig to slaughter.

She cleared her throat, as another girl, seemingly the same age, wearing a dark red coat, brought out a microphone, and placed it in the orange-haired girl’s hand. She brought it to her mouth and smiled. “Ladies, gentleman, and everyone in between!” The girl grinned. “Gamblers of Tokyo, and those with enough money to come watch people risk theirs-” She paused as the entire stadium erupted into laughter

“Please, please, you’re too kind.” She shook her head. “Welcome to the 86th annual Hyakkou Gambling Tourney!” She raised her hands, holding the microphone out to the audience as they erupted into applause and cheers, Celeste amongst their countless voices. “I, of course, am your host, and the winner of our esteemed tournament for the past 5 years, Mika Hasegawa!” The mere utterance of her name worked the crowd into a frenzy, though Mika quieted them with a wave of the hand. “Before we begin our first preliminary game, I would like to give a short message to our participants this year.” Celeste perked up. Mika cleared her throat once more, directing her attention back to the row of gamblers Celeste stood amongst.

“All of you have your own reasons for coming here. Maybe you chase the thrill of chance, or perhaps you simply need money. Maybe you’re confident in your card playing skills, or you’re just plain bored. Whatever reason, you must remember why you are here. Think of what has driven you to this place. And hold that close to your heart. That is why you must gamble. Please, I implore you to try your best, and to risk it all!”

The crowd exploded in applause, most standing up and shouting. Mika clapped with them for a moment, before bowing and handing her microphone back to the girl in the red jacket that accompanied her. The girl took the mic herself, quieting the audience with a hand motion. “Group A! Please move forward.”

Celeste whipped out her card, reading ‘GROUP A’ printed under her name. She grinned, stepping forward. She saw Osame, Komoto, and Miyasa standing next to her, each looking varying levels of confident.

The various screens lining the arena (which Celeste assumed would be used for close ups of the table and dramatic zooms around the gamblers) changed, now showing a rudimentary roulette wheel. 

“For the preliminary round, the four participants will be playing...” The woman in red said, snapping her fingers as the roulette began to spin rapidly. After a few minutes, it stopped. “DAIFUGO!” The crowd erupted in excitement.

The woman continued, as the screens shifted. A banner on the top read “RULES” while the screen showed a rudimentary diagram, holding four figures. “Daifugo is a game for 3-8 players, which is played with a single deck of 52 cards. The object of Daifugo is to discard your cards as swiftly as possible and to be the first to do so. We, as is usual, will be playing for the best of 3.” The screen shifted, changing to show the four figures lined up.

“While playing Daifugo, there are five roles. Tycoon,” a crown appeared above the figures. “Investor,” A dollar sign appeared. “Commoner,” a sickle. “Poor,” an x. “and Beggar.” a grave. “However, as we only have 4 players, we will be playing without the Poor role.” the screen changed to reflect this.

“In the first round, all players are automatically assigned the Commoner role. The dealer will always be the Beggar, but as we do not have someone in the Beggar role for round one, for the first round, we will select randomly once our explanation has ended.” She cleared her throat. “For simplicity’s sake, each player will be dealt 10 cards, in order to ensure fairness and the succinct conclusion of rounds. After the cards are dealt, the Tycoon and Investor both collect taxes from the Commoner and Beggar. The Beggar and Commoner must give up their strongest card, while the Tycoon and Investor hand back any card of their choosing.”

“Moving into the actual play, the dealer will begin a round by placing a card out of their hand. The card does not matter.” The screen shifted to show a card go into play. “The player to the left of the dealer will then either play a card of higher or equal value, or, if they cannot do so, they will pass, and move play onto the next player in the rotation. This will continue until either all players have passed. In addition, if the dealer plays a set of cards, say, a pair of 4s, then all plays that round must be done in pairs, For instance, a pair of 4s can be beaten by a pair of 5s, or another pair of 4s. Please note, that if a player passes, this does not prohibit them from playing later in a round. It only dictates that they cannot play over that specific card. A player can also _choose_ to pass, even if they can play over a card. Whoever finishes shedding their hand first will be named The Tycoon. Second will be named the Investor. Third, the Commoner. And fourth, the Beggar.”

“There are few additional rules in Daifugo. If one places four of a kind to begin a hand, they start a Revolution, flipping the power positions for the remainder of the round. However, this can be reversed with another four of a kind. And, if an 8 at any time enters play, the round ends on the basis of an ‘8-Cut’. With that, the rule explanation has concluded, and we may begin play.” The crowd erupted into cheers at the promise of the game’s beginning.

“Our players, please, step forward.” Celeste did as she asked, along with Miyasa, Osame, and Komoto. A table rose from the ground, as the screens shifted to a live camera feed. The chairs had small, tablet sized screens hung from the back, each reading “COMMONER” in bright blue letters. “Take a seat.” The announcer commanded. Celeste moved first, closely followed by her fellow players. “As previously stated, since we lack a Beggar on our first round, we will instead select our first dealer randomly.”

Celeste carefully eyed the people on either side of her. To her left was Osame, and to her right, Miyasa. Ideally, Miyasa would be selected as the dealer. While the order of play rotates every round, Celeste wanted a chance to react. While setting the bar for the round looked tantalizing, there was always the chance that Celeste could play an 8, which would rob Osame and Komoto of their turn.

“Dealing for us this round, Celestia Ludenberg.” The announcer said. Celeste sighed in her head. She’d take it, but it was less than ideal. A boxed deck of cards then raised in front of Celeste, all evenly stacked and custom printed. “As per usual, we will be playing with a fresh deck of cards, in order to assure that no foul play was involved. If Miss Ludenberg would do the honors.”

Celeste took the box in her hands, deftly removing the taped seal across its top. She opened the box’s covering gingerly, before dumping the cards into her hands, still evenly stacked. Each card was custom printed, a large golden H emblazoned onto a red, checkerboard back. Celeste carefully placed one card for herself, and dealt one card to Osame to her left, dealing in order to everyone at the table, until each had an even 10 cards in hand.

“With that, the game may begin. You all must place starting bets upwards of 5,000 yen. Please use the chip repository below your side of the table to do so.” Celeste leaned back, examining a machine reminding her of a coin teller, filled with chips of various costs. Celeste tapped the “1000” chip repository 5 times, as said chips were sent up through a set of holes on her side of the table. “Good. Please, do your best, and risk it all.”

Celeste by no means had a bad hand. She could work with it. Two pairs, and a three of a kind, the rest all singles. She eyed the twin nines in her hand like grenades. She could start with them, but she had no set that could beat them. If Osame had a pair of kings, he’d continue the round, and lock Celeste in a corner. “Seven of Spades.” A safe bet. A card low-enough, that the round could continue, but not a high enough set that she couldn’t top it when the round came back around to her.

Osame smiled. “Looks like my lucky day!” He slid the Eight of Diamonds over Celeste’s card. “I believe that’s an 8-cut! Which means the turn rotates to me!”

“You would’ve gotten it anyway...” Miyasa rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, but this way, I lose more cards!” Osame grinned. “Alright, my turn!” Osame played down two cards at once, laying a pair of Kings (spades and hearts) down on the table. Celeste smirked internally, happy to know she avoided losing her set.

Komoto stared at the cards, wordless, for a second. “Ok.” He shrugged, playing two queens overtop of the kings. “Miyasa’s turn.”

“...Pass.” Miyasa grumbled.

“I must pass as well.” Celeste smiled.

“Same here, bud!” Osame frowned.

“Oh, cool.” Komoto smiled smally, looking at Miyasa to begin the next round.

Miyasa eyed her cards for a moment. What could she be thinking? Does she have a stunningly intricate play in mind? Is she weighing her options? Celeste’s mind ran marathons thinking of her attack plan for Miyasa’s next move. 

“Three o’ clubs.” Miyasa stated, tossing her card to the middle.

Celeste eyed her hand once more. No 3’s or 4’s. “Pass.”

“I’ll top that!” Osame grinned. “Four of hearts!” He slid the card over Miyasa’s with a flourish of his wrist.

“You know, you don’t have to be so dramatic about it...” Komoto grumbled. “Here, Five of clubs.” He lightly and straightforwardly placed the card atop the pile.

“Yeah, but then it’s not _fun,_ ” Miyasa groaned. “Here, watch,” She posed dramatically, with her arms twisted around her mid-section, before she flicked her card forward onto the pile. “Ta-da! Six of Hearts.”

Celeste peered at the three 6s neatly lined up in her hand. She could play here. She could shed some of her cards and progress the game. But her mind kept racing. If she played a six here, that meant someone could play a seven overtop it. And then, someone could play an eight. While that seemed harmless, Komoto was the dealer right now. If Osame or Komoto had a seven, they could turn back the turn order, and keep Celeste away from playing her cards up for even longer. But, if Celeste could _accelerate_ the turn order...

  
Celeste smiled. “Six of spades!” She placed it atop the pile.

“Aw dang...pass...” Osame grumbled.

Komoto thought for a moment. “Seven of diamonds.” He placed his card atop the pile. Perfect. All according to Celeste’s plan. Now all she needed...

“Ugh, pass.” Miyasa mumbled. Celeste’s heart threatened to beat out of her chest.

“Then...I’ll play...the Eight of Spades!” Celeste slid it onto the pile. “My turn!”

“Damn...just skipped right over me, Celeste...” Miyasa frowned.

“Apologies, but I didn’t exactly come here to make friends.” Celeste shot back.

“Really?” Miyasa smirked. “Well, neither did I.” Her hand reached under the table, pressing down on the chip depository. “I raise by 5,000 yen.”

Celeste cocked an eyebrow. “Oh really? Well, I’m excited to see your face when that becomes _my_ money.”

Miyasa’s eyes lit up with anger. “Just play the damn card!”

Celeste smirked, licking her lips. “Okay!” She slammed a pair of 2s onto the table, quite literally one of the highest possible plays in the game. She stared Miyasa in the eye the whole time. “Osame, I believe it’s your turn.”

Osame stared at her, wide-eyed and shocked. “Oh, uhhhh...Pass.”

“Komoto?” Celeste asked.

“P-Pass.”

“Wonderful. Now, do you have anything else you’d like to play, Miyasa?” A predatory grin spread across Celeste’s face. “Come on, I know you can play something! Or would you like to raise your bet, eh? Would you like to risk more on a measly game of chance?! Are you that confident, Miyasa?! Are you assured in your victory?! Come on, PLAY! PLAY SOMETHING!”

“PASS!” Miyasa screamed, her body shaking on the spot.

“Oh. What a disappointment.” Celeste frowned, resting her chin on her palm, and running her fingers through her remaining cards. Only six left before Celeste took round one. A massive silence overtook them all for a second. “Osame? Play.”

“R-Right!” Osame affirmed, his hands shaking a bit as he strummed through his cards. “I-I’ll play this.” He placed the three of hearts onto the table.

Komoto stared at his hand for a moment. “Pass.”

Miyasa’s knuckles turned white as she gripped her cards. “Pass.”

“I’ll pass as well.” Celeste smiled, as the turn order gave to Komoto.

Komoto smirked, placing down a pair of cards. The four of spades, and the four of clubs. He exhaled. Celeste assumed he’d passed last turn in order to start this turn with his pair. Celeste smiled.

“Pass.” Miyasa choked, her voice a high whine.

“Pass,” Celeste remarked, staring down the pair of sixes in her hand. She wasn’t _lying._ She really couldn’t play it. But if she was right, then...

Osame lit up, playing down a pair of 5s. The five of hearts and the five of diamonds. Perfect.

“Pass.”  
  


“Pass.”

Celeste paused for a moment, staring down Osame with a smirk on her face. She dropped the six of diamonds and the six of clubs down onto his cards. Osame’s smirk wilted into a frown.

Celeste grinned, threading the measly three cards that remained in her grip between her fingers. Celeste stared at the eight cards that flooded Miyasa’s hands, as she hurriedly razed her eyes over the pieces of plastic in her grip. Her mind probably racing at the possibilities of Celeste’s next turn. Celeste looked at her, tilting her head in mock concern at her state. This did little to help Miyasa.

“HERE!” She exclaimed, placing a pair of nines down onto the table. She leaned back in her chair, a forced smile on her face.

“Pass.” Celeste smiled.

“Pass.”

“Pass.” Miyasa smiled, knowing her intimidation play had gone off without a hitch. 

“Well, I suppose it’s my turn!” Celeste cheerfully remarked as Miyasa’s smile melted away. Celeste stared at her hand. Just three cards left. The Nine of Spades, The Queen of Hearts, and the King of Diamonds.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t in the best position. Osame still held two cards in his sweaty hand. She had to end it this turn if she wanted to secure Tycoon. If she plays the Nine, then she can work her way up sequentially, and discard her entire hand. But, that relies on the risky maneuver of a jack present in Osame, Komoto, or Miyasa’s hand. Then, she’d have to conquer the jack with her king, and then hope and pray that someone has a king or a queen so she could finish her hand. If any one hitch in her plan broke, then Celeste would have lost the turn to Osame.

Her mind raced, searching for the art on the faces of the discard pile. Had she seen a jack? A King? She hated relying on luck to win, but in this case, it was a necessity. She just had to win. She just...had to win.

“I’ll play the Nine of Spades.” Celeste smiled, lowering her hand to two cards. Her eyes turned to Osame. She just needed him to say Pass. That’s all. Just one, simple word.

“Here.” He said, making Celeste’s heart drop. She let out a sigh of relief when he played the Nine of Diamonds. Now, Celeste just had to end this turn, and empty her hand.

Her eyes burned into Komoto, as if she could will him to play a Jack. She just needed a jack. Celeste rapped her fingers against the table. SHe just needs a Jack. It’s a fucking card. He cold play it, couldn’t he? He had to have it. He had to.

“Jack of Hearts.” Komoto frowned, placing the card down. Celeste tried to contain her breathing. Her face was still a porcelain mask of containment, but she was screaming inside of her mind. She was this close to taking the first round. She was so close...

“King of clubs.” Miyasa played. _Shit._

Celeste couldn’t take the round at this point. She could play her king of her queen, match or conquer Miyasa’s play, but she couldn’t end the round. It would turn to Osame, and even if he couldn’t play anything, he’d still send the turn around the table. The chances of someone (who wasn’t Osame) playing a queen and no one topping it? Minute.

Osame seemed to realize this, sitting up slightly. No. Celeste _wouldn’t_ let this...this... _useless_ waste of time win. She couldn’t. She’d rather die. Celeste grinned. “I raise by 50,000 yen.” She tapped the chip dispensary, a confident smile having broken across her face.

“W-What?!” Miyasa exclaimed. “There’s, there’s no way you can know you’ll win! Why are you betting now?!”

Celeste laughed. She cackled to herself, before fanning herself with her hand. She placed the king atop the pile. “Simple!” Celeste exclaimed. “WHY NOT?!” She whirled around to face Osame, as if daring him to play a card atop her King. He wilted under her frenzied grin, all of his previous confidence gone. Komoto, similarly, hid his hand under the table, muttering out a pass that matched Osame’s. Celeste’s gaze once again fell on Miyasa.

“What?” Miyasa stuttered. “What?! WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!” Miyasa screamed, her hands tearing at her hair.

“Play, Miyasa.” Celeste smiled. Miyasa held her cards close to her chest as Celeste stood, and rounded the table, sliding her hand down Miyasa’s cheek, a grin on her face. “Don’t you want to play more? Don’t you want to _win? Don’t you want to prove me wrong?”_ Miyasa shook under Celeste’s grip, as her hands fell to her shoulders, her nails digging into her hoodie.

“I...I...”

“Go on. Play. Play the card. _Play, Miyasa.”_

Miyasa whimpered, the Queen of Spades not being placed atop the discard pile, but simply falling out of Miyasa’s hand.

Celeste grinned, cackling as she emptied her hand, placing the Queen of Hearts atop the Queen of Spades.

\---

“REMATCH!” The boy across the table grimaced, slamming his fist against the table. “SHE’S CHEATING, I KNOW IT!”

“How could I be cheating?” Taeko smiled, folding her arms in front of her. “This is a game of pure luck. You simply guess the card. How could I be cheating? Tell me, what do you think I’m doing? How do you think I’m cheating?”

“I...I...I just know it!” The boy whined.

Taeko smirked. “Hardly a well-built excuse...But I’ll shuffle the deck. Would that make you feel better?”

“Y-Yeah! Go ahead!” Her classmate fumed. Taeko laughed, reaching for the deck. In one swift, practiced movement, she shuffled the deck, cutting it and then mixing the two halves together, before placing the newly shuffled deck on the table.

Taeko smiled. “The Queen of Hearts.” She guessed, reaching forward and plucking a card from the top of the deck. She held it between her fore and index finger, examining the face of the card.

“What? WHAT IS IT?!” Her classmate shouted, watching the whole of the lunchroom crowd around the table.

Taeko grinned. She flipped the card in her hands, revealing the unbothered frown of the Queen of Hearts. “I win.”

\---

The second round began much like the first. The screen on the back of her chair now reading “TYCOON” in bright golden lettering, while Miyasa’s read “BEGGAR” in a dull gray. Komoto’s read “INVESTOR” in white, while Osame’s read “COMMONER” in light blue.

“As the rules dictate,” The announcer began. “The Tycoon and Investor must now collect taxes. Please select a card of your choosing.” Miyasa gulped, watching Celeste and Komoto select a card from their hands. Komoto turned to Miyasa, making her inch backwards in her seat, as he slid a card to her. Miyasa grabbed it. The five of hearts. She sighed, selecting the queen of diamonds, her highest ranking card, and trading it to Komoto. She saw Celeste and Osame make a similar action.

Miyasa began organizing her hand, slowly, before her eyes lit up in excitement. There, organized in a beautiful row, were a set of four tens. She tried to mask her excitement, though she couldn’t help but mask her giddiness. With a set of four cards, all matching the same value, she could cause a revolution, switching the roles of the game, and giving herself the position of Tycoon. And if she could maintain that position...she could...she could win! She could win, and take home all that money!

There was how much? 75,000 yen on the line? That’s not a ton, but she could still use that towards her sister’s treatment! She could win this. Plus, seeing the look on Celeste’s face when she was thrust down to Beggar...Miyasa wasn’t ashamed to admit to herself that she was looking forward to it.

“With tax collection completed, we can now proceed to the round proper. Would anyone like to raise their bets?” The announcer stated. Miyasa smirked.

“I raise by 300,000 yen!” Miyasa grinned, tapping the repository, a grin on her face. She could win. She _was going to_ win. She’d already discard four cards, then she’d get tycoon. Then she’d walk away with 375,000 yen! She could...she could save her sister, and she could rub it all in that Celeste girl’s face! “SHOWDOWN! REVOLUTION!” She exclaimed, laying the four cards down on the table. To her delight, she felt a buzz from her chair, alerting her to her change in role. A grin spread onto her face, as if daring Celeste to say something.

“Hmm.” Celeste made a noise of discontent. 

“What?!” Miyasa grinned. “Too stunned?! Too afraid now that I’m going to win?!” Miyasa cackled. “WELL, THAT’S TOO BAD! Because I’m on top of the food chain now!” Miyasa rose from her seat, raising her arms high above her. “Go on! Say something! OH WAIT, YOU CAN’T GLOAT ANYMORE! BECAUSE I FUCKIN’ WON--”

“Counter revolution.” Celeste casually smiled, placing a set of four jacks over Miyasa’s tens. Miyasa watched as Celeste’s smile widened, and her chair blinked again, putting her back in last place.

“Wh...” Miyasa said, words refusing to form in her mouth. “Wha...”

A tremendous cackling erupted from Celeste’s throat. She steadied herself on the table, her body shaking from how hard she laughed. “YOU’RE DELIGHTFUL, MIYASA! YOU’RE SIMPLY DELIGHTFUL!”

“Stop that.” Miyasa warned. “Stop it. Stop laughing! STOP IT!”

Celeste leaned back in her chair, two hands on her stomach. “That misguided confidence, that gleeful look on your face! It was all just...so funny! Knowing that I’d just, RIP IT ALL AWAY FROM YOU!”

“Stop. STOP IT.”

“I don’t like relying on luck, but oh, it’s simply delicious when my luck ruins someone’s day. It’s _hilarious_ , really!”

\---

“But...but...”

“Take it from me.” Taeko giggled, zipping up her lunchbox and returning the deck of cards to her now defeated opponent. “If you are not a lucky person, you should not try.”

“Wh-what?” He whimpered under Taeko’s gaze. She leaned over the lunch table, grabbing his collar in an iron vice.

“Luck is a precious resource. Some people, well, they’re just born lucky. And some people...just aren’t. And there is nothing you can do to change that. You can try and dig yourself out of a pit, but you’ll only end up further and further away, your own unluckiness causing you to fall down halfway and break your legs. You cannot escape yourself. You cannot escape the bad luck that you are.”

“But...but what about you?”

Taeko grinned. “Well, I’m lucky. Who said the rules apply to me?”

\---

“Celestia Ludenberg?” A voice asked as Celeste left the arena. Celeste turned, meeting eyes with one Mika Hasegawa. The reigning champion grinned, extending a hand towards Celeste. “A pleasure to meet you in person.”

Celeste smirked. “Likewise. I’ve heard of your exploits. Conquering this championship, along with the underground world of gambling at...how old were you again?”

Mika giggled into her fist. “Oh, please. You’re flattering me too much! I was 13 when I first won, but that wasn’t necessarily because of my age. Skill is something that can pervade generations and can transcend age.”

“Ah, of couse. My apologies, Miss Hasegawa.” Celeste raised a hand in defeat.

“Oh, please. Call me Mika. A powerful girl like you, well, I’d like it if we were on a first name basis.” Mika grinned, making Celeste blush.

“Ah, well...call me Celes, then.” Celeste smiled, holding her hand out for Mika to shake. Instead of taking her hand, Mika leaned down, kissing her hand. Celeste retracted her hand, smiling and averting her eyes.

“Well, _Celes_ , then I’d like to propose something.” Mika said.

“I’m all ears, _Mika_.” Celeste responded.

“How about a quick gamble?” A shine played across Mika’s eyes. “Off the record, aside from the tournament. We play out of our pockets. Seeing you in that game...it was...exhilarating. I want that luck of yours playing against me.” Mika coughed into her hand. “Excuse me, I need to correct myself. I _need_ to see your luck up close and personal.”

Celeste grinned. “Of course.” Celeste brushed one of her ponytails away. “But please. Don’t attribute my victory to luck. I like to consider myself much more than just lucky.”

“My mistake, Celes.” Mika smiled. “Well then. Shall we dance?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> these take so long because i actually have to learn how to play games...
> 
> anyways UDG should be started soon! comments and kudos are appreciated :heart:
> 
> also, here's some art of Mika and Celeste, done by me! https://juicedlamps.tumblr.com/post/640290042118586368/juicedlamps-these-bitches-are-thinking-about


End file.
